Can violence EVER be justified? Gaza and beyond | Ghada Karmi, Peter Singer, Uriel Abulof

Ghada Karmi, Peter Singer and Uriel Abulof discuss the ethics of violence and vengeance, and whether there should be any difference in how we view these concepts between the oppressors and the oppressed.

What do you think - is context paramount when it comes to violent acts?

Watch the full debate at https://iai.tv/video/violence-vengean...

From Robin Hood to Che Guevara, the oppressed hold the moral high ground. The exploited worker, the dominated minority, the enslaved people, are seen as rightly acting to better their circumstances. Some even maintain the oppressed can never act immorally. But there is a risk this undermines the central moral notion that principles should apply to everyone independent of their circumstances. It also encourages portraying oneself as a victim. Moreover, critics argue that oppressed vs oppressor morality hinders our ability to solve problems that defy simple categorisation into good and bad.
Should we conclude that morality has nothing to do with oppression? Are violence and vengeance no more acceptable on the part of the victim than the aggressor? Or is morality inextricably linked to the circumstances of the actors whether in Gaza, apartheid South Africa, or the Twin Towers attack, or the events of everyday life and relationships?

#moralphilosophy #gaza #ethics

Peter Singer is one of the most prominent figures in contemporary ethics. He is an Australian moral philosopher and the Emeritus Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and the author of Animal Liberation. Ghada Karmi is a Palestinian-born academic, physician and author. She held a number of research appointments on Middle Eastern politics and culture at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and in the Universities of Durham and Leeds. Uriel Abulof is an associate professor at Tel-Aviv University’s School of Political Science, Government and International Affairs. Mary Ann Seighart hosts.

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00:00 Introduction
00:43 Moral philosopher Peter Singer on consequentialism
03:42 Palestinian author Ghada Karmi on the difference between the oppressor and the oppressed
07:59 Professor Uriel Abulof on the universal need for moral reckoning

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